GMO In the Know – June 28th, 2013

A string of victories over the past few weeks has turned the tide for the “Right To Know” Movement. From state labeling wins in Connecticut and Maine, and a passing vote to label GE salmon by the Senate Appropriations Committee, to Chipotle voluntarily labeling its ingredients and a new, verified non-GMO label for meat products, it’s simply a matter of time before GMO labeling becomes standard. “I think companies are starting to realize the fight is worse than the label,” said Scott Faber, Executive Director of Just Label It.

After seeing a recent headline announcing that the EPA was considering raising the level of glyphosate allowed in pesticide use, AllergyKids founder Robyn O’Brien shared an expert’s opinion on the already pertinent dangers of increased chemical use. According to plant biologist Dr. Don Huber, U.S. levels of glyphosate are already toxic; Canada’s tolerable levels are 58 times lower than those in the United States, and Europe’s are even lower.

For the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a non-GMO label verifying that meat and liquid egg products meet the requirements of the Non-GMO Project’s third party certification. As the consumer demand for non-GMO products has increased, many meat companies began seeking a verified non-GMO claim for their products, only to find that the USDA’s Food Inspection Service had no such rule. After more than a year of the USDA reviewing the Non-GMO Project’s processes, a verfied label is now available to a new segment of the food industry.

A recent decision to award the World Food Prize to three chemical company executives issued a strong response from a network of global food leaders. In a statement by the 81 councillors of the World Future Council, they acknowledged that honoring biotechnology betrays the the purpose of the World Food Prize, a prestigious award in food and agriculture, which is to emphasize “the importance of a nutritious and sustainable food supply for all people.”